As one who listened to Al Franken's show let me tell you he will be a great Senator

[Hokie]

Franken gets knocked around, even by some on the left, as just a funny guy or a clown who will provide nothing but good entertainment in the Senate. I think he has a real passion to serve and a good grasp of the issues. I listened to his show a lot and he is intelligent and has a great grasp of the issues. I especially liked his last hour Friday that was usually devoted to Joe Conason and Al talking about the major issues of the week.

Norm Coleman should concede. He will do great damage to his own party and to a lot of well meaning hard working people by contesting the results now and making his state a laughing stock. The recount was fair and open. He should accept the results and move on to handling his coming legal difficulties.

[wyldwolf]

1. yeah, he became the only person I listened to on AAR

[grantcart]

14. very smart, and very serious - did his homework -- only person I ever listened to

on talk radio.

[hlthe2b]

2. I agree... He is passionate and an honorable heir to Wellstone

He pissed me off from time to time (Iraq War defender, his poo pooing of 04 election fraud/irregularities) but he is smart and sincere IMO. He's also gotten to see (and bear the brunt) of the worst of the RW spin machine and dirty tactics. That should have removed any naivete' he might have had going in. His wife, Frannie, is a real asset as well.

[HelenWheels]

3. I agree

He was the best thing on AA. He always had important guests and he could hold his own with all of them. He is one smart guy and as we can now see he is a real fighter. He will be an asset to the Senate.

[Kahuna]

4. I love Al Franken. He's great.

:loveya:

on edit: I loved his show too.

[demodonkey]

5. I think Franken will be a good Senator, but I think it's ironic that...

...he will get his seat largely due to improvements in the Minnesota election system won through the hard work of the election integrity and reform community, even though Al Franken was apparently the biggest force on Air America Radio to shut down coverage of what happened in the 2004 election by Randi Rhodes and others. Oy! Oy! Oy!

Fortunately for Al, in Mark Ritchie MN has one of the best and most dedicated Secretaries of State when it comes to election integrity and reform, and the state has some of the hardest-working citizen groups advocating there for fair elections.

Let's hope Franken takes election integrity more seriously now, and as a Senator he will work to get the Minnesota system of paper ballots with careful public audits and recounts in place all over the USA.

To him I would say, "Senator, you are fortunate you had Minnesota's system to back you this year. Other states and candidates are not so lucky. Our elections are still in grave danger nationwide. Please help make things better for us all."

[Thrill]

6. At least there will be true liberal in Wellstone's seat

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

7. Anyone who has read "Lies" and "The Truth" should know that he'll be a great Senator.

I may have my differences with him on some issues, but he is brilliant and thoughtful, and knows more about public policy than a lot of people. Sadly, most people see him as an SNL has-been comedian and a talk show host from what right-wingers call a "failed network" (AAR). None of these things are true. Al Franken is a very brilliant man. He will be a great senator, notwithstanding our differences.

[mucifer]

8. Yeah. He is one of the few people who actually read people's books before he

interviewed them. He is very well read and knows a lot about policy. I do miss " The Oy Oy Oy show".

[Captain Hilts]

9. His radio show was really uneven, but, I, too think he'll be a good senator. nt

[Vattel]

10. Franken is very intelligent and has good values

That makes him superior to most senators.

[Tutonic]

11. Yeah shouldn't Norm be preparing for his federal indictment?

[MoonRiver]

12. I love Al!

Can't wait to watch him on the Senate floor!! :loveya: future Senator Franken !

[Odin2005]

13. This Minnesotan thinks Franken's a perfect fit for Wellstone's seat

Redemption time. Get out of Paul's seat Norm, NOW.

[cascadiance]

15. I still remember standing right next to Mimi Kennedy of PDA holding up protest signs at his show...

... in San Diego during Democracy Fest, at the time when we had a very contentious election to replace Duke Cunningham, and the problems with Diebold and evoting machines... He had a guest on that was being rather dismissive of the protests then and he didn't try hard enough to take on that air of dismissiveness in my book. I wonder if now, after having gone through this recount, he has a new appreciation of what we were trying to speak up about that day then.

I too believe that Franken will make a great senator. He's the kind of person that will learn from these experiences and do the right thing I think.

[Skittles]

16. I've read his books

he is awesome :thumbsup:

[underpants]

17. His show was really good. He is very knowledgeable on policy and topics

He will be fantastic

[JSK]

18. These are good for a laugh, of course

but it is so depressing that these idiots fervently believe the crap they spew.

How many of them know one fact about Franken, his many trips to Iraq, his heart, his compassion, his brain, his devotion to his brilliant children. (his daughter teaches grammar school in inner-city New York) Depressing, depressing.

[rvablue]

19. He's always bugged me.....but I don't mind him in the Senate....his ideals are Democratic

so I'm good with it.

But I don't have to like someone personally to respect and believe in them.